I have always enjoyed reading. I blame my parents for installing the routine of reading for 1/2 hour before lights out every night - something that our girls have just started doing and something I STILL need to do in order to wind down for the night (and which has sadly taught my brain that it is time to shut down - I often read about 2 pages before I fall asleep, even in the middle of the day!).
I went through a horrid pause in my reading over a few months, I just couldn't seem to find a really good series to sink my teeth into - you know, those books that you just can't wait to pick up and that keep you reading "just one more page"! Then I stumbled across the last book from a series I started AGES ago at the library (a young adult fantasy series) but hadn't finished and that was me. I was hooked back into the luxury of the light and fast paced young adult section. I have been SPEEDING through some books since that first one. The Young Adult section is a bit like sneaking cherrios at the kids parties we frequent - I know they are a bit young for me, but they are just so delicious! I like the depth of the characters, the creativeness of the plot and the speed in which I turn the pages. Anyway, I figure that the writers for this age group have to be pretty talented in order to hold a teenagers attention to a book these days!
So recently I have worked my way through the Inheritance Series, The Hunger Games Series, and a whole bunch of others. I even admit to having read all the Twilight and Vampire Academy books (no, they are not gory vampire books!). I really enjoyed "The Giver" by Lois Lowry, very though provoking story line that could lead to some great discussions. I was able to recommend "Uglies" to a teenager the other day as a good read, and he recommended "Divergent" to me, which I just finished. It is nice being able to connect with the youth, and I am learning that there are a lot of other adults out there like me sneaking cherrios between adult books....
....And I DO like adult books too, don't get me wrong! Jodi Picoult, Francine Rivers...I could go on and on. I read across all Genres: fantasy, historical, mysterycrime, family sagas, christian fiction....I just love to read!
Recently I discovered a website called goodreads.com - where I can catalogue all the books I have read, rating them on a 5 star system, and then get recommendations based on those I enjoy. I love lists, so I just enjoyed clicking all the books I have enjoyed thus far and those which I want to read 'one day' (this list is getting longer and longer thanks to all the recommendations!). So you ask, what were my biggest 'FIVE STAR" fiction reads that grace my bookshelves...besides those I already mentioned?
- The Outlander Series (Crossstich) by Diana Gabaldon. I just loved these books and own the entire lot. The first books especially were fantastic.
- The Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jean M Auel. Own them all. Such a unique series - Read them three times now.
- Flowers in the Attic series by Virginia Andrews. Haunting storyline, gripped me in my late teen years.
- Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye. Keeping in mind these are fictional books, I just devoured them. Didn't like the last book, but the first ones were AWESOME gripping reads.
- The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings - need I say more?
- Tomorrow, When the War Began series - read them in my teens and again as an adult. Better the second time round!
- Pawn of Prophecy series by David Eddings - still working my way through these but they are very good fantasy reading.
- The Morland Dynasty by Cynthian Harrod-Eagles - a series that tracks a family generation by generation from the medieval time right through to today - needless to say, its a long series (over 30 books) and I am only up to book 26 which is set in the 1920s!
I could probably go on and on but those are some of my favourites. I wonder if my kids will read these books? Some of these series used to be my mothers, and I still swap book recommendations with her. It is a nice thought that I could be discussing books with my girls one day.
Marty has had to become a reader after almost 10 years of marriage to one. I had to teach him to enjoy books, I started by getting him a few autobiographies from his favourite sports people out of the library and leaving them by his bed. Once he got into them, I discovered that there are James Bond books (his favourite movies)...we now own them all! Marty is really enjoying Tom Clancy and Lee Childs and tends to stick to an author until he has read every single book they wrote before moving on. His latest is the Game of Thrones series, so we got him the second book for Fathers Day.
I will never forget when Paul Henry said on Breakfast a couple of years ago that we should just get rid of libraries, they are becoming so old fashioned in this techie age. I was LIVID. I love the Library and so do my children!
We are a family of readers....even Kate can read simple chapter books at 4, and both girls have been giggling as Marty reads them "The BFG" at bedtime.
This makes me happy.
The Whitcoulls Top 100 list is always a good place to start looking for good books! I liked Jo Nesbro and the Millenium Trilogy, Marty might like them too!
ReplyDeleteGet rid of libraries, pfft, what a dick! One of the first things I did when we moved to Palmerston North was get a library membership, I couldn't live without reading. I also love the feeling of being in a library, surrounded by books.
ReplyDeleteSadly, when I'm at uni I don't get much time to read, in my breaks I don't usually feel like reading as that's pretty much all I do most day every day. But I still always read before putting my light out in bed, like you.
I'm on the last Clan of the Cave Bear book now, it's been really interesting. The Outlander series is on my "To Read" list, someone recommended it to me ages ago but I haven't got around to it.
Well done on converting Marty to being a reader! One of the things that attracted me to Paul was that he liked reading, which wasn't common with a lot of the young guys I knew.
I think reading helps with subjects like English, it was my favourite & best subject at school & I definitely attritube that to being a reader. & both your girls are really smart :)